Tibetans at Strand Hatters in Sydney last week. Source: Supplied

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It has some of the world's best known rivers and among the deepest and longest canyons in the world.

And it is currently going crazy for the iconic Australian hat, the Akubra.

It's not America, or Canada - it's Tibet.

Robert Carroll, of Strand Hatters in Sydney, has seen waves of Tibetans in his shop over the last few years, but suddenly they are swarming his hat shop in buying frenzies.

"Last Tuesday there were 38 of them in my shop, all speaking and pointing and wanting to buy hats. Not a word of English. It was mental," he said.

"Then there was another group on Friday. They seem to be particularly mad about the traditional Australian styles, the Coober Pedy or the Coolabah, the Cattleman and the Tablelands."

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The Akubra Coolabah has a band of genuine farmed crocodile belly. Source: Supplied

Mr Carroll said Tibetans had started to visit his shop about three years ago, but came more frequently six months ago and "lately it's just been crazy".

What may have sparked the buying frenzy is a photo of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in an Akubra he was presented while on tour in Australia in June.

"I don't know, even the tour guide couldn't really speak English, so it was impossible to ask why this is happening," Mr Carroll said.

Roy Wilkinson, company secretary and director of Akubra, said the Dalai Lama could have something to do with the trade over the last month.

"But the fact is Tibet represents out largest export market," he said. "China is another big market, but our exports to Tibet are the largest and they keep on growing.

"In a place where there is plenty of access to mass-produced things from China, they like quality products and they seem to like something that's uniquely Australian.

"The Coober Pedy has a genuine Australian opal on the band and that's been very popular with Tibetans, as has the Coolabah, which has a band of genuine farmed crocodile belly.

"The cowboys of Tibet have always worn these style of hats, plus a lot of people in Tibet wear hats."

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The Dalai Lama wearing the Akubra Cattleman he was given in Adelaide. Picture: Rusty Stewart Source: Supplied

Mr Wilkinson said the Tibetan market began with an email from a customer, Sonam Gompo, in Lhasa, the capital.

"He was coming to Sydney and wanted to take back 50 hats with him," he said. "He didn't speak much English, but he bought the hats and it's gone on from there.

"He now takes about 6000 hats a year and he's moved into parts of China. We have other distributors in China, and obviously with the middle class growing in these parts of the world, more people are able to travel to Australia.

"Even with the Aussie dollar having been so high, we're kind of defying the trend."

Nigan Gotsang of the Tibetan Community of Australia said Tibetan people wanted "quality, not Chinese junk" and they liked "precious things like gold, coral and turquoise" and "products which last".

"Tibetans have traditionally lived a nomadic life and have worn hats to protect themselves from the rain and the cold, or the heat of the summer," he said.

Mr Gotsang said Tibetans found Australia attractive because it was an "open country with kind people and not much racism".

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